Fetzer

Fetzer was a pioneer in producing red wines that were both substantial and easy to like. That tradition continues with this merlot. This 100 percent merlot was fashioned from grapes picked in four north coast counties and aged for 13 months. "Barrel select" in this case means that much of this wine was aged in French oak barrels made at hearby Mendocino Cooperage, where the barrels are toasted to winemaker specifications. What has emerged after a brief period in bottle is a...

JoAnn Lock, age 60, of Gilberts, passed away on Tuesday, May 6. JoAnn was a loving friend to many around the world. Beloved wife of 16 years to Bill; loving mother of Brett (Jenny) Fetzer, Chad (Kim) Fetzer and Nicole Blair; dear grandmother of eight; sister of Mike Schallock. Due to her love of children, memorials may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, P.O. Box 50, Memphis, TN 38101-0050. Cremation private. Arrangements byCountryside Funeral Home, 630-289-8054.

Fetzer is one of California's largest and best known wineries. But it started small, in the late 1960s, and it started with zinfandel. Despite growth and diversification, Fetzer still has a special touch with that juicy red grape, as illustrated by its 1997 Home Ranch zinfandel. The product of a bountiful and hot growing season, this zin is rich and flavorful: Raspberry and blackberry form the core, with spices, including clove and black pepper and vanilla, making brief appearances.

- A special menu inspired by "Like Water for Chocolate," Laura Esquivel's novel and hit movie now playing locally, will be featured through Friday at Lupita's Restaurante, 1721 Benson Ave., Evanston. For information and reservations, call 708-328-2255. - "From the Earth to the Table" offers a market of local specialty foods including cheese, fish, bread and sausage, and a tasting of Italian and California dishes matched with Fetzer wines, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. June 24, sponsored by the Como Inn and...

JoAnn Lock, age 60, of Gilberts, passed away on Tuesday, May 6. JoAnn was a loving friend to many around the world. Beloved wife of 16 years to Bill; loving mother of Brett (Jenny) Fetzer, Chad (Kim) Fetzer and Nicole Blair; dear grandmother of eight; sister of Mike Schallock. Due to her love of children, memorials may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, P.O. Box 50, Memphis, TN 38101-0050. Cremation private. Arrangements byCountryside Funeral Home, 630-289-8054.

North Aurora police charged an Aurora man with murder Sunday in connection with the stabbing death of another Aurora man. Guadalupe Olivera, 38, also was charged with armed violence and home invasion in the stabbing of the 38-year-old man. North Aurora police declined to identify the victim because his next of kin had not been notified. North Aurora police found the man dead at about 6:15 a.m. Sunday at 512 Clearwater Dr., North Aurora, said North Aurora Patrolman Tom Fetzer.

The controversy over California's 1998 reds is not likely to tone down until most of the wines from that weather-challenged vintage have disappeared from shelves and wine lists. In the meantime, here's a wine that provides evidence that year was not an unqualified failure. At $17, this cabernet is not for casual drinking, but it will lend a classy note to summer parties on patio or porch where grilled or smoked meat--beef or lamb especially--is served. The...

Richard F. Fetzer, age 72, of Streamwood, dear son of Cecil and the late Irene Fetzer of Fruit-land Park, FL; loving brother of William (Rose Mary) Fetzer of Adrian, MI, James (Anna Jean) Fetzer of Adrian, MI, Sally (Ron) Bechtol of Chicago, Ella (Walter) Machnik of Melvinndale, MI and Mary (Cliff) Maxwell of Chicago; uncle of 21 nieces and nephews; dear friend of Peggy and Ed Haas of Montgomery, IL. Richard was preceded in death by his mother and grandparents, Fred and Ella Fetzer and Richard and Core Ladd.

Let physicists elsewhere scoff. Let them pore over their scribbled sheets of formulas, heaping doubts on the claims of two chemists at the University of Utah to have created the miracle of nuclear fusion in a bottle. Here on the shore of America's great inland salt sea, fusion mania still reigns. It's thermonuclear showtime at the Studebaker Club, an upscale night spot across the street from City Hall, where patrons dance to "Doin` the Fusion," an irreverent rap song written by...